Mediastinal Cryobiopsy for Pathological Diagnosis of Fibrosing Mediastinitis-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension.

INTRODUCTION: Fibrosing mediastinitis is a benign but fatal disorder characterized by the proliferation of fibrous tissue in the mediastinum, causing encasement of mediastinal organs and extrinsic compression of adjacent bronchovascular structures. FM-associated pulmonary hypertension (FM-PH) is a serious complication of FM, resulting from the external compression of lung vessels. Pathologic assessment is important for etiologic diagnosis and effective treatment of this disease. CASE PRESENTATION: A 59-year-old male patient presented at our hospital and was diagnosed with FM-PH. He declined surgical biopsy that is the reference standard for pathologic assessment, in consideration of the potential risks. Therefore, an endobronchial ultrasound examination was performed, which identified the subcarinal lesion. Under ultrasound guidance, four needle aspirations were carried out, followed by one cryobiopsy. Histopathological examination of transbronchial needle aspiration specimens was inconclusive, while samples from cryobiopsy suggested a diagnosis of idiopathic FM. Further immunophenotyping demonstrated the infiltration of lymphocytes, macrophages, and FOXP3-positive cells in FM-PH. CONCLUSION: Mediastinal cryobiopsy might be a novel and safe option for FM-PH patients who are unwilling or unsuitable for surgical procedure.

SSR individual identification system construction and population genetics analysis for Chamaecyparis formosensis.

Chamaecyparis formosensis is an endemic species of Taiwan, threatened from intensive use and illegal felling. An individual identification system for C. formosensis is required to provide scientific evidence for court use and deter illegal felling. In this study, 36 polymorphic simple sequence repeat markers were developed. By applying up to 28 non-linked of the developed markers, it is calculated that the cumulative random probability of identity (CPI) is as low as 1.652 × 10-12, and the identifiable population size is up to 60 million, which is greater than the known C. formosensis population size in Taiwan. Biogeographical analysis data show that C. formosensis from four geographic areas belong to the same genetic population, which can be further divided into three clusters: SY (Eastern Taiwan), HV and GW (Northwestern Taiwan), and MM (Southwestern Taiwan). The developed system was applied to assess the provenance of samples with 88.44% accuracy rate and therefore can serve as a prescreening tool to reduce the range required for comparison. The system developed in this study is a potential crime-fighting tool against illegal felling.

Development and technical application of SSR-based individual identification system for Chamaecyparis taiwanensis against illegal logging convictions.

Chamaecyparis taiwanensis is an endemic plant suffering illegal logging in Taiwan for its high economic value. Lack of direct evidence to correlate stump and timber remains a hurdle for law enforcement. In this report, 23 polymorphic Genomic Simple Sequence Repeat (gSSR) and 12 Expressed Sequence Tag (EST)-SSR markers were developed and their transferability was assessed. The individual identification system built from selected non-linkage 30 SSR markers has a combined probability of identity as 5.596 × 10-12 equivalents to identifying an individual in a population of up to 18 million C. taiwanensis with 99.99% confidence level. We also applied the system in an actual criminal case by selecting 19 of these markers to correlate illegally felled timbers and victim trees. Our data demonstrate that molecular signals from three timbers hit with three victim trees with confidence level more than 99.99%. This is the first example of successfully applying SSR in C. taiwanensis as a court evidence for law enforcement. The identification system adapted advanced molecular technology and exhibits its great potential for natural resource management on C. taiwanensis.

Isolation and characterization of SSR and EST-SSR loci in Chamaecyparis formosensis (Cupressaceae).

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Simple sequence repeat (SSR) and expressed sequence tag (EST)-SSR markers were developed as tools for marker-assisted selection of Chamaecyparis formosensis and for the molecular differentiation of cypress species. METHODS AND RESULTS: Based on the SSR-enriched genomic libraries and transcriptome data of C. formosensis, 300 primer pairs were selected for initial confirmation, of which 19 polymorphic SSR and eight polymorphic EST-SSR loci were chosen after testing in 92 individuals. The number of alleles observed for these 27 loci ranged from one to 17. The levels of observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.000 to 1.000 and from 0.000 to 0.903, respectively. Most markers also amplified in C. obtusa var. formosana. CONCLUSIONS: The developed SSR and EST-SSR sequences are the first reported markers specific to C. formosensis. These markers will be useful for individual identification of C. formosensis and to distinguish cypress species such as C. obtusa var. formosana.

Removal of ethylene and bioaerosol by chlorine dioxide using a chemical scrubbing system in a fruit and vegetable storage facility.

Ethylene (C2H4) and bioaerosol are commonly present in the inside atmosphere of postharvest fruit and vegetable storage facilities, which may affect the aging of postharvest fruit and human health. We have assessed the feasibility of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) as the scrubbing solution in a chemical scrubbing tower for simultaneously removing C2H4 and bioaerosol emissions from a gas stream. Parameters such as the ClO2concentration, contact time, and liquid-to-gas (L/G) ratio were examined with the aim of determining the optimal operating conditions. Using the system reported here, the optimal C2H4 removal efficiency was 99.5% when 500 ppm ClO2 was used at a reaction time of 30-60 s under a continuous non-recycle ClO2 flow mode. In terms of C2H4 removal, a greater L/G resulted in a higher C2H4 removal efficiency up to the optimal ratio of 12.5. In terms of the simultaneous removal of C2H4 and bioaerosol, the removal efficiency of C2H4 was 99.2% and those for the bioaersols of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were 99.92 and 99.10%, respectively, under a continuous non-recycle flow mode. Our results also indicate that oxidation reduction potential (ORP) can be a valuable indicator for the timing of the replacement of the scrubbing solution in the system under a continuous recycle flow mode. Additional confirmation of the feasibility of the ORP as an indicator of C2H4 and bioaerosol removal in situ was obtained in a 3-month test of our system in continuous recycle flow mode with the periodical replacement of scrubbing solution, ClO2. The removal efficiencies for C2H4, bacterial and fungus aerosol, and total hydrocarbon compounds (THC) were 83.4, 96.8, 96.1, and 76.5%, respectively. Our results prove that ClO2 is an excellent scrubbing solution in the chemical scrubbing tower for the removal of C2H4 emissions and bioaerosol. We demonstrate, for the first time, the feasibility of this system in a fruit and vegetable storage facility.